Whether you’re an early riser or more of a brunch person, everyone has their opinion on the most important meal of the day. You also know that where you eat is just as vital as what, which is why Dallas has plenty of great places to get your engine started. Feel free to make more than one of these restaurants a morning destination–you don’t want to eat all your eggs in one basket.
Breadwinners
A true Dallas staple, Breadwinners recently won the D Magazine “Best of” poll for brunch. They’ve got your basic necessities, like overstuffed breakfast tacos with Southwest migas, but also three kinds of Eggs Benedict: their traditional BW version, French ham and veggie. A must for weekenders: their homemade frozen bellini. Care to take the Sunday-Funday drinking elsewhere? Try their sister place the Quarter Bar down the street.
Breadwinners, 3301 McKinney Avenue, 214.754.4940, www.breadwinnerscafe.com
La Duni
This is not your average mom and pop shop, although La Duni is run by a married couple. Taco is known to be on the savory side, while wife Duni is on the sweet, and together the duo create a delectable, fresh menu that rivals anything in the Dallas market. Breakfast is no exception. Savory: A smorgasbord of egg dishes, like Huevos Finos (similar to a benedict with Gruyere cheese) and Huevos Gachos (scambled with Argentinian sausage.) Sweet: Orange Brioche French Toast, or try one of Duni’s famous cakes.
La Duni, 4264 Oaklawn Avenue, 214.520.6888, www.laduni.com
Screen Door
Southern cooking has never been as refined as it is at the Screen Door. Maybe this is why the menu has the gift of pleasing not only soulfoood fans, but selective Uptown eaters as well. Try their Fried Green Tomatoes, Molasses Soaked French Toast or Big Mama’s Fried Chicken, and wrap it up with a Moonpie.
Screen Door, 1722 Routh Street #132, 214.720.9111, www.screendoordallas.com
The Grape
A popular desination along the Greenville Ave strip, The Grape has been in business for almost 40 years. Chef Brian Luscher, who bought the place from the original owners in 2007, is known to cure his own ham and bacon, make his own breakfast sausage and use the finest, freshest ingredients to make his dishes. My personal favorite: the Frittata, an oven-baked egg casserole with Asiago and goat cheeses.
The Grape, 2808 Greenville Ave, 214.828.1981 www.thegraperestaurant.com
The Original Pancake House
You can’t miss the large congregation of breakfasters outside the Pancake House in Uptown weekend mornings, milling around and dreaming of omelets and French toast. It may be a national chain, but that doesn’t mean TOPH skimps on quality–or syrup.
The Original Pancake House, 2900 Lemmon Ave. 214.528.7215, www.originalpancakehouse.com
